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Thursday, 30 May 2013

WeChat is an interesting application that is making waves across all platforms. Its a brand new way to connect with friends and family instantaneously. Interestingly, the application supports group chat as well and in an attempt to spread a work, here's a well thought of blogging competition under the aegis of IndiBlogger. You may learn some wonderful tips and tricks on using the app from WeChat's Youtube channel.

While there are tens of people I would like to chat with all the time, here's how a chat could progress if the following characters had to converse, assuming I were the Embryo in this case. The entire script is imaginary, unreal and fictional. Of course, it has got nothing to do with anyone who's dead or alive.

Embryo: Thanks guys, i'v learnt tht every1 can dream a thousand things. but it needs ppl lik us, especially me, to effectively use our energies to develop positive things. i hv learnt it all d hard way. if the Almighty blesses my wish to be reborn on the earth, i'd b more responsible abt my life n d decisions i tk. After all, the world is a beautiful place n i wnt 2, now, mke it even more beautiful wit u all...

I was sitting with some of my friends alongside our office. We saw some young boys and girls, probably 15-16 year olds, trying to experience a smoke. Some looked professional smokers as well. When I heard a girl telling a boy who was not willing to smoke, "Dude come on, be a man", I was in a state of shock. Freedom. What's that? Is it this? What's happening?

Off late, there is a huge buzz about giving an equal space to women, fighting for their rights and ensuring that they live just as happily and freely like their counterparts aka the men. Aur kyun na ho, hakk bantha hai. It is women's right to be free to do what they want to, live how they want to without having to explain to men or the society. Though I am a proponent of equality, in fact I would be happy to women going ahead of men, I am a little worried about the definition of free. I have seen people fight their parents saying, "I want to live my life how I want, let me free" and ending in alcohol indulgence, smoke addiction, etc. There are examples of women, who have earned their so called freedom from multiple husbands. No, I am not saying that divorce is wrong. I am only saying that if this is the freedom that women are fighting for, its not worth it. The society is heading for a disaster if we are demanding equal space for women in bars, pubs and smoking zones. In fact, we might not have a society at all. So, the most important point that we have to clear up on is that we are not fighting for filthy things as this. We are fighting for real reasons, real pains and real agonies that women are going through.

Ring The Bell - A Breakthrough IndiBlogger Presentation

So, I attended this meet by IndiBlogger called "Ring The Bell" which was organized in collaboration with Breakthrough under the IndiChange initiative. One can check the website for further information. In simple words, the organization is focusing on bringing forces together for the cause of standing up for women. Bell Bajao is a global campaign asking men and boys to pledge action against violence against women. I loved this ad that they played at the meet today.

Often, I try to think what exactly causes such behavior in men and amid all reasons of ego, culture, upbringing, psychology, dressing, etc, the reason that most logically satisfies me is that men are fed with information that they have to prove their manliness. Now, how can they do that? The only difference between men and women, biologically, is that one part. So, they start showing that to say, "Look, I am better than you".

One major reason that is responsible for a lot of these issues is the tons of information that is thrown on to us by the different types of media. Sometimes, these make me think on whether we are really heading ahead as a society/nation or are we falling back each day trying to become something that we are not.

Open a newspaper and you see the most revealing pictures of women, just covering enough to ensure the newspaper doesn't get sued for obscenity.

Turn the TV on and you get to hear all the stories of cruelty, heinous crimes, rapes, etc. Nobody speaks of the good things happening around. The whole focus is to show that this country is in shit.

Look around and the billboards say, "Be a MAN" with an image of a super hot chic inviting the man. Now that men who are distracted by that billboard can not get that lady, they try to get someone else.

Open facebook and you see a whole lot of stuff promoting promiscuity. People without girl friends or boy friends are looked down upon (treated as failures). Your pride is in question

Today's girls, if I am to believe internet forum discussions, want to lose their virginity by 15-16 years. Else, they are again in a fix among their friends. Now, everyone can ask me, "What's wrong with that?". Nothing at all, as long as you are conscious and not under peer pressure.

The Effects

So, everyone who we follow is trying to tell men, "Get her, go, get her". Look at any famous website and you get to see the same. We never complain against them because they are award winning companies and would do anything to sell something to you. While some companies strip women off, some women do that themselves to grab eyeballs. In fact, women too are very fine with this. The supermodels, the super duper heroines, the so called achievers or role models to other women, the ones who feature in every magazine and every show, etc. have reached that stage by showing themselves as objects. You would hardly find the youth following women who have made efforts to build the nation, build an organization or have really added value to the world. The youth follows celebrities and what these celebrities promote is clearly seen. They are equally responsible. If I have to fight for such rights, I'd rather lend a deaf ear. Sorry but for a few dollars, there are women who are putting out vulgarity in the world and then these same women dramatize the rights for women.

In other words, we, the innovative people as we call, are depicting women as objects ourselves. Then, we cry on why men are mad on women who show flesh in lieu of fur. Do we dare to question the advertising agencies? Do we dare question these women who try to tell men how luscious they are and how men should readily attack them? No, we only question the men giving some women the freedom to play around. Of course, we should question these men but more importantly, we must also question other elements that have led to this crime.

The After Effects

When the poor do not have any food to eat and the rich are draining food their glory, the poor revolt, attack the rich and snatch food. In the process, they break law, harm the rich and are also labeled thieves. Reason - the poor were deprived of food.

When women are faced with societal difficulties, they rise, they fight for their rights and declare their freedom and in the process, they might hurt a lot of men. Reason - the women were deprived of freedom.

Just the same way, the men who see women enjoying their lives going around with their boyfriends. There is a set of men who do not have girls along them. In a society that still considers sex as taboo, it is difficult for some men to see women going around so freely. So, they attack a girl in the process of enjoying all that they seem to believe that their counterparts are. Reason - these men were perhaps deprived of a good relationship or sex.

Please note that these are not justifications. These are explanations. I want to make it clear that none of these reasons are any good for a man to take a wrong step. Not at all. For no reason whatsoever can anyone justify harming the other person, be it a man or woman. For no reason whatsoever, raping a woman is justified. For no reason whatsoever can a man justify doing anything against a woman's desire. Such men should definitely be punished. To build a good society, we must develop a good understanding among people, get them to learn to respect women. The women should not consider men, who tell them about dress code or behavior, as moral police. Its just that they want you to be safe, strong and happy. Its none of your mistake but its just that, we as a nation, are not yet mature/ready to see what you want to show. Respect their concern.

Should we stop recognizing genders? Remove the M/F column from all documents?

Long ago, and even now, there were regular debates on casteism. There were hundreds of views on how to get rid of this evil. While initially, the SC/ST/OBC were the disadvantaged and the leaders decided to facilitate their lives through reservations, the scenario is different now. Today, we are all fighting to end this reservation because it is evident that merit is being killed in the process of reservation. Its time for us to abolish the religion/caste system in legal processes and thereby make it a cultural/social subject in lieu of a political subject. That will end all the differences between people on the basis on caste, leading to a society of equality among people.

Applying a similar logic, if we stop legally recognizing people as men and women, and recognize them as human beings, we would get a lot of our problems solved. Neither men would try to dominate women nor women would want to do an equalizer with men. The only people who would have problem with this would be the media as they would not have anything to write/show that can excite people. I am trying to say that the world is not as bad as it is made to appear. Like me, there are hundreds of men sitting to blog about fighting for women's rights.

The day we start looking at each other as human beings and not as males and females, a lot can get accomplished.

Solutions - The simple ones and the not so simple ones

Fear and Enticement work wonders in the short term. Bosses use fear to get work done from employees. Women entice men to buy gold for them. In neither cases do these stay on for long. Fear ends one day and the employee will repel. Enticement ends one day and husbands will declare bankruptcy. Understanding is the greatest virtue of life that works in the long run. If the employee understands his work and its significance, there is perhaps no need of a boss. If a husband understand his wife's desire for gold as well as financial angles to it, the wife doesn't need to ask for it. Now, should we wait till all the people on earth understand that women need to get all that men get? That might not happen in decades. It is a slow process. In the meanwhile, we should put fear and enticement into work.

When Enticement doesn't seem to work, Fear works

Now, of course, putting enticement into work has not worked till date. We tried candle light marches, we tried spreading awareness, we tried equipping women with some skills, etc. but on the other hand, we get at least one rape report everyday. Gang rapes are perhaps motivated by the group orgies depicted by the so called developed nations who we try to follow. Now a days, it is no more shocking to listen to these news. I mean, how many times can you get shocked for the same news?

So, its time to try fear. In fact, fear has worked in several nations. I am a strong supporter of Mr TV Mohandas Pai who said, "Rapists should be punished with chemical castration, like it is done in the US and the UK". In fact, we should chop off their parts and show them to the world. The last time, I said in the IndiBlogger meet that we should not hide the faces of these rapists. The media should not question the victim about what happened and what she is going through. The media must question the rapist, his family and friends. One such cases and fear will catch up. We might see a short term break and in this break, we must build a strong culture among people.

In simplest words, "Ask me to rape a woman and I will not do it. Not because I can't but because I understand that it is wrong. Ask me to copulate with a girl other than my wife, I wouldn't. Not because I can't but because I understand that it is none of my business. Ask me to harass a woman, I will not. Not because I can't but I would prefer beating you black and blue than her." When we ensure that men understand these couple of points in the right spirit, we will head towards a world that sees everyone with the same eye. Today's world continuously asks men, "Can You?" and men are forced to say, "I Can". I bet if women were men, they would do the same. The day men say, "I can but I won't", we have solved the women's issues forever.

Take the National Pledge

When I was a kid, studying at Kendriya Vidyalaya, I took a pledge every day which had a statement saying that all Indians are my brothers and sisters. I remembering discussing with my friends, "Dude, if all Indians are my brothers and sisters, I will have to marry a foreigner". Kids, we decided to whisper the words "except one" in to the pledge, thus making it, "All Indians except one are my brothers and sisters". Our teacher caught us one fine day and she was, in fact, very happy to see us being serious with the pledge. Today, I think, its time for all of us to revisit this pledge.

India is my country and all Indians (except if I marry an Indian) are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it. I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect and treat everyone with courtesy. To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well-being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Long ago, I heard a politician quoting in a TV show/movie, "Yeh politics humko chod do. Yeh sab tumhare bas ki baat nahi hai". Today, I feel that the people know politics far better than what the politicians claim to know. Politics, after all, is the most discussed subject among Indians.

The games of power are not merely played by the politicians. The politicians are like the cricketers on the ground, expected to perform for the nation/team. When they don't, the crowd still supports them. When they cheat, the crowd doesn't take it. When they show ignorance to the crowd's expectations, the crowd knows how to respond. There are some great players who get cheered in spite of their performance. There are some other players who get battered despite of good performance. These are IPL days and we all know how it works. In politics, its the mid finger that finally decides. It gets inked to decide the fate of the politicians, once in 5 years.

There are numerous reasons and speculations on the loss of BJP in Karnataka. While some explain this as the weakness of BJP, some explain this as the strength of Congress. However, one should remember that when people vote, they don't vote based on campaigning. If it was so, I guess, none of the major political parties would come to power. The way smaller parties like Loksatta campaigned, it was touching. When a person educated in IIM Bangalore comes and tells you that he wants to enter politics and bring about a change in the nation, you just give in. But then, it doesn't happen that way. What drives the people when they finally press the button on the voting machine is how their life has changed in the last 5 years. It is the holistic experience over this long period that makes a common man take his decision.

When power is not used responsibly, be sure you will lose it

Now, I wouldn't either call this as a loss of BJP or the win of Congress. I would call this as a victory of common man. The common man has told finally that, "Here, we can do it". What makes me make this statement is that the Congress won Karnataka with absolute majority. I wouldn't call it a people's victory if we had to again fall into the ditches of a coalition Government where the Government itself won't be certain of its future, forget the people or state's future. I am neither a supporter of Congress party nor an opponent of the BJP/JDS but I am a strong supporter of people who want to really bring about a change. Now, every politician says that he wants to bring about a change. Who do we trust? Either All or None. To bring about a change, you ought to have enough power to pass a bill or to take an action. When you are uncertain about your power, in a coalition, how do you bring a change even if you wish to. All the 5 years of the Government goes in safeguarding the seat and all the 5 years of the opposition goes in pulling the legs of the Government. Karnataka has been prone to these daily doses over the last 7-8 years.

Its NOT the Yedyurappa Factor

Apart from these generic reasons, there are some other reasons that have brought about a change in people's mind. I don't think its because of Yedrurappa to a large extent. Because, even if he had to stay, BJP would still lose the election, considering the total votes of BJP and KJP. Now, if Yedyurappa had led Karnataka in the right spirit, the story would have been different. But then, his entire tenure was lost in safeguarding his seat. Even the JDS is responsible in some way because they never gave a chance for the CM to do CM's work by continuously making an attempting to break the Government. There was a continuous movement of politicians from one party to another. At so many occasions, the Government was down to its knees. Its all a known story. Now, if people were really upset with Yedyurappa and happy with BJP, BJP should have ideally won because Yedyurappa in not anymore a part of the BJP. Yet again, its the holistic experience the people had that made them say, "That's it"

The Women uncomfortable with certain events

Urban voters, mainly women, have been expressing their griefs as they were attacked by moral police on several occasions. No matter what the reason is, a man becomes a transgender when he hits a woman. In fact, being the major promoter of the concept of respecting women, it was sad to see the same people attacking women in Mangalore and other places. Even the RSS played a role in spoiling the image of BJP in the long run. May be, the BJP also understood this point towards the election days and that's why BJP promised a longer night life in Bangalore to woo young voters. Now, in AP, the Andhra Congress has decided to ban women from pubs after 10 pm. I don't know what's right and what's wrong. I am only stating that these are some reasons for votes to move from one party to the another. When people take money for votes, it doesn't appear wrong to ask for a good life, like in so called advanced nations. Its more about the feeling of freedom than culture. Its that people want this for them. Utilizing the freedom or not is their option.

People know what's Drama and what's not

You can not undo all that you have done in 5 years by bringing an influential face for a day. Ultimately people know that Narendra Modi will not lead Karnataka. One of the biggest problem of today's political chaos in India is that the people do not want Congress in the center and they also do not want other parties in the state. In simpler words, people want BJP (NaMo) to lead India but do not want BJP in their state. This is the greatest dilemma in our nation. While this is the greatest weakness of BJP that their leadership doesn't go well in the states, it is the greatest strength in disguise for the Congress stay at the center. No fringe benefits or cash giveaways can get you votes. It is a well known fact that people take all that you give and vote for whoever they want. That's true India. It is also for the leaders to understand that all those attending their rallies, speeches, etc. are not their supporters. A large number of them are looking for some free entertainment to spend time or looking to have that free food or drink after the rally or speech.

You've time till 2018 to prove yourself

Finally, one ought to remember that in May 2008, it is the people who said, "Enough" to other political parties and gave BJP a chance to work towards growth and development of the state. The BJP won the 2008 election with a historic 110 seats and Mr Yedyurappa was the poster boy. Same way, the Congress has now been brought into power by the people with the hope that they will do something. This time, they have been given such a strong majority that they don't have to worry about remaining in power for the next 5 years. The people are hoping that their leaders will not have to worry about their seats and thus, can work for the people. If the Congress doesn't perform in line with expectations, people will answer in it in 2018. People can merely trust leaders and bring them to power but the unfortunate part of it is that the leaders forget it after coming to power. The people are merely asking for the state's growth and development. They are not even asking something for themselves. The Congress has to keep this in mind and I seriously hope that they start taking required initiatives to make Karnataka a better place to live in. And on the other hand, I also hope that the BJP/JDS will introspect, take corrective steps, work for the people and be strong contenders for the 2018 elections, rather than going the "Let's pull the Government down" way.

Positive politics is still a Distant Dream for India but I sincerely hope that this election result gives a wake up call to all our leaders to work towards the tasks for which they are hired/paid/elected, "Growth of the State, Development of the Human Capital and a Better life for the citizens." On a lighter note, people would not bother much about your scams or loots as long as you are also working for their progress...

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

As the world grows on the industrial lines, there are apparent signs of diminishing healthiness among individuals. The world that we are headed in to is less green and less clean. While the instances of life taking diseases like cancer, heart attack, etc. are on rise, there are also some diseases like obesity, hair loss, diabetes, etc. that are catching up with us due to our lifestyle changes. We don't get to eat a lot of good food because all our food is made up of either wheat or rice. Nobody has time these days to look at other cereals, vegetables or fruits. There is a buzz of a healthy lifestyle across the globe now that promotes following practices that are considered healthy, spend on quality goods, consume nutritious food, exercise especially yoga and de-stress/rejuvenate regularly.

Hair Loss - The No. 1 Cause of Worry among Men

Though the exact reason for hair loss in people is difficult to establish, as it varies indefinitely from person to person, a large number of surveys have established that hair loss is a major cause of worry among men. What men forget is that this worry itself is another stimulant for further hair loss. Hair loss now ranks ahead of obesity as well. In our preceding generation, men would generally start losing hair in their forties. However, in our generation, it begins in the twenties. A large number of hair loss treatments have boomeranged and many company have mushroomed to treat this disease in the last 5-6 years. Yet, reading the reviews of these treatments, it is clear that none of these have worked in most cases. Switching over to a healthier lifestyle remains, by far, the best answer to healthier hair.

Unfortunately, or not?, there is hair across our body. The hair is healthy and at most times, at most parts, it is unwanted too. All we need is hair on the head but it grows everywhere else in the most perfect manner. I have been pondering on this from a long and yet to find any strong answer that could convince me. Its like the water on earth, 71% of surface of earth is covered with water and yet, not everyone gets good water to drink.

Water Water Everywhere... Not a Single Drop to Drink...

Hair Hair Everywhere... Not a Single on the Head...

Getting Ramp Ready with TRESemmé

TRESemmé has been making hair related products for over 60 years. After providing solutions for hair care in 25 countries, TRESemmé has entered India with its basic product portfolio namely, Keratin Smooth, Smooth & Shine, Climate Control, Hair Fall Defense and Styling. The company was started by a high-profile hairstylist Edna Emme, who's name inspired the brand name, TRESemmé. While the company's claim that some of these products have been especially formulated for Indian Hair impressed me, what did not impress me is the point that I couldn't see anything on offer for men on their website. Of course, it might have missed my eye. But then, this is a common trend across the industry that the beauty products are customized for women. After all, its women who are beautiful. Men are merely handsome. Even the youtube page has tips for women to get ramp ready and men are not in scene. Men have been ignored in grooming segment and that explains why we are not Ramp Ready. Even if we did, it would not be our hair that we flaunt. When men go for a hair cut, there are definitely hair being cut. When women go for a hair cut, you don't know if the hair were cut or some hair were being patched. Sam Ewing rightly says, "Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair."

Classical Hair Moments in India

Indians by default are addicted to cricket or to bollywood or both. There is definite trend of some Indians slowly getting addicted to other things as well but our basic DNA is perhaps built to love cricket and our bollywood stars. I often remember some moments when I think of hair.

A classical composition "Na Jhatko Zulf se Paani, Mera Dil Toot Jaayega" by Mohd Rafi. These are certain evergreen songs that we will continue humming forever. It is also interesting to observe the simple hair styles these actresses wore those days. Yet, the beauty of their hair was so lucid. That is the major reason why they say, "No beauty equals Natural beauty". Another classical composition "Yeh Reshmi Zulfein, Yeh Sharbati Aankhein... Inhe Dekhkar Jee Rahein Hain Sabhi..." also talks about how hair has an impact in the overall outlook of a lady. Indeed it does. There is no need for any evidence for this. A mere sight tells all the story. Martin Luther says, "The hair is the richest ornament of women"

In those days, when there was no Sunsilk, All Clear, Pantene or TRESemmé, these evergreen beauties depended on, may be, natural products like Shikakai powder, herbal shampoos, amla, etc. The technology has far advanced from then and today, we have numerous hair care products from shampoos, oils, conditioners that offer close to natural remedies to products like certain pills, capsules, etc. that claim to support the hair follicles from within the system. Companies now clearly distinguish between the contents of all their products to customize them to the hair type. Scientific advancements have enabled stripping off of these products into finer contents like Vitamin H, Silk Proteins, Keratin, etc. and then combining them to formulate solutions to different types of hair problems.

From the days of Mohd Rafi to the days of Aamir Khan, the hair care industry took a significant change. The bollywood beauties now had access to superior products and that perhaps made Aamir Khan sing, "Kaali Naagin ke jaise Zulfien Teri Kaali Kaali, Sagar ko Moti aur Suraj ko Tu deti hai Lali", to impress upon Rani Mukherjee.

An amazing ad comes to my mind when I try to recollect the hairy moments. This ad by "" where the lyrics take a little pause to tell how the hair is a trouble in the lady's outlook. "Chehra Hai ya Chaand Khila hai... ZULF... ZULF... ZULF..." and then changes to "Zulf Ghaneri Shaam Hai Kya... Sagar jaise Aankhoan wali, Yeh toh bata tera naam hai kya..."

My experiment with TRESemmé - The Many Faces of a Woman - Courtesy the Hair

As I browsed through some videos on TRESemmé youtube page, I was amazed at how dynamically a lady can change her look merely by changing the way she styles her hair. I did some further research to find even more evidence. As I could not find anything to do with my hair, I thought I should at least do something with someone else's hair. I couldn't get my hands on Deepika Padukone but I could definitely google out some images that show her in different hairstyles. In some cases, its difficult to believe if its here, especially if they are from her photo shoots before entering bollywood aka the kingfisher days.

While the first image represents the hair in a typical European style, the second image makes her a desi girl. The 3rd adds an urban look while the last one combines modern style with a traditional twist.

Yet again, these 4 images give a totally different perspective of the person in the image. One make you call her beautiful, the other might make her look average and one of them contains an ugly look as well. "Hair brings one's self-image into focus; it is vanity's proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangle of mysterious prejudices.", Shana Alexander says.

The vintage looks compared with the simple girl from a village looks, the airport runaway look compared to a little ugly look at an ad campaign. Hair does it all. Hubert de Givenchy said in a Vogue issue of 1985, "Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself."

And the typical Deepika Padukone as we know. Long, beautiful, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen or whatever. Hair definitely plays a great role in the way we look. As far as men are concerned, the mere presence of hair reduces the apparent age of the man by several years. There is nothing more despicable than a bald man who pretends to have hair. One has to take care of hair in order to ensure that it lasts long, strong and stays on with us.

Here's how Anne Hathaway looks in different hair styles. Incidentally, I read that TRESemmé has been the official hair care sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York for the past eight seasons, with top fashion and celebrity stylists using the collection to create gorgeous, fashion-forward looks for the runway.

The Steps to Get Ramp Ready

One can search the internet for a million tips on how to have great hair. So, I am not going to write about that, about ways to comb hair, mixtures of various fruits, vegetables, etc. to be applied, soaps and shampoos to be used, etc. From my personal experiences and interaction with people, I have the following points to convey

Stop Smoking. Now, Right NOW. I have observed with enough evidence that people who smoke tend to lose hair quicker than those who don't. In fact, hair loss is a small problem that arises out of smoking. There are many other dangerous outcomes that we all know. For sake of everything in your life, mainly the hair on your head, kick the bud away forever.

Stop Worrying. Start Living. Doctors, honest ones, say very clearly that there is no definite solution to hair loss except synthetic solutions, wigs or hair transplantation. For natural growth of hair, there are no answers in this world. In case your hair isn't coming back, don't worry. Worry will only make you lose more hair. Hair follicles have a life span of 4-5 years. Keeping yourself cool will ensure that these grow back in the long run.

Either use natural products for hair wash, styling and growth or use only high quality products from hair experts. I was browsing through some products on TRESemmé India's website and they look good. Interestingly, I see product description, prescription as was as process of using the product on their website in a simple language. TRESemmé has dedicated products for each objective. Always ensure 100% focus on quality. Don't ever forget that quality comes at a cost.

This post has been written exclusively for the TRESemmé Ramp Ready Hair contest on IndiBlogger. All images used in the post belong to their respective owners. Representations are imaginary. Stories are work of fiction. Solutions, Discussions, Answers spoken above are mere learning from internet and not absolute. And of course, Ms Deepika Padukone or Ms Anne Hathaway has nothing to do with this post, for reason whatsoever. Its no rocket science to decipher that the mere relationship between me and them is that I could be their fan.